Method of making structural beam members



Dec; 13, 1938. v H. T.'wooLsoN 2,139,788

METHOD OF MAKINGSTRUCTURAL BEAM MEMBERS Fil edJan 2, 1937 v f-MRYTwaaLsa/v,

Patented Dec. 13, 1938 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE METHOD OF MAKINGSTRUCTURAL BEAM MEMBERS Application January 2, 1937, Serial No. 118,736

8 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved structural beam member and themethod of forming the same.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved structural beammember having a maximum rigidity and resistance and which represents asubstantial reduction in weight and mate.- rial over conventionalstructures. More specifically, the invention has for its object theprovision of a member of this type especially adapted for use in vehicleframes for motor vehicles.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved methodfor forming a beam member of the class described from a piece of stockin which method the stock is perforated in such a manner as toaccommodate and facilitate expansion for increasing the height andstrength of the beam without diminution of the thickness thereof; and toprovide an improved method which will result in a saving of materialrequired for the nuished product with a resultant gain in strength for agiven weight and size of stock.

More specifically the invention has for one of its objects the provisionof improved means for forming a channel-shaped beam member for a vehicleframe structure wherein the web portion of the channel member isexpanded transversely for increasing the distance between the neutralaxis of the beam member and the flange or flanges thereof without asubstantial diminution of the. thickness of the web.

An additional feature of my invention resides in the provision of animproved X-brace structure for a motor vehicle frame.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more apparent fromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a vehicle frame structure embodying theinvention.

2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line III-III of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a piece of stock orblank from which one of the frame members is formed by my improvedmethod.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the stock or blankafter the same has been perforated.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the stock shown in Fig.5 after the same has been expanded transversely.

Fig. 7 is a View similar to Fig. 6 but showing a modified form of theinvention wherein both ver- A tical spaced projections at one end of thestock have been spread together with the adjacent portion of the stock,the full lines indicating the finished product and the dot and dashlines the contour of the stock prior to expansion.

The invention is illustrated and described in connection with a channelshaped brace or beam member for a vehicle frame structure wherein it hasbeen found particularly adapted although it will be understood that theinvention in its broader aspects is not to be limited to thisembodiment.

Referring to the drawing thereis shown a vehicle frame structureincluding spaced longitudinally extending side rails Hi connected attheir adjacent ends by cross members H and ii. The rails it areconnected by an X-bracing structure it positioned intermediate the endsthereof and substantially at the longitudinal center thereof. ihestructure l3 comprises four diagonally extending brace or beam members il, the outer ends of which are attached to a side rail l and theopposite or inner ends thereof converge toward a central pointapproximately in the vertical longitudinal mid-plane of the framestructure. Each of the legs M is channel-shaped, having upper and lowerflanges l and 56 respectively and an intermediate web ll. The inner endsof each brace H3 is cut away as at H? forming upper and lowerprojections l9 and 20, respectively, the cut away portions IS beingadapted to accommodate a vehicle propeller shaft (not shown). The upperprojections E9 of the legs M are rigidly united by a top plate 2! andthe lower projections 28 are similarly secured together by a bottomplate 22. The inner ends of the legs 94 have a greater height than the.main body thereof, as is illustrated in Fig. 2, and are provided withflat upper and lower surfaces at the end portions of the projections itand 28 to accommodate the respective securing plates, the upper edge ofthe brace being tapered from the flat surface in the direction of itsouter end.

The periphery of the cut away portion I8 is bent in a direction oppositeto the flanges l5 and iii to provide a flange 23 for further increasingthe rigidity and torsional resistance of the inner end portion of thebrace member. To facilitate assembly, the web H and flange 23 of eachbrace 54 is relieved as at 24. In the X-type of frame bracing it iswell-known that the torsional stresses are largely directed to and.resisted mainly at the point of union of the inner or converging ends ofthe bracing members. By increasing the height of the brace and flangingthe web as at 23,

provision is made for accommodating the propeller shaft of the vehicleand at the same time the requisite strength is provided for successfullyresisting torsional stresses.

A structural member of the type illustrated has a neutral axissubstantially midway between the flanged longitudinal edges and theresistance strength of the member to bending is to a large extentdetermined by the distance between this neutral axis and the center ofgravity of the flanges i5 and [6. Where this distance is increasedwithout a substantial diminution in the thickness of the web portion theresistance strength of the member is correspondingly increased.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved methodfor forming a member of the class described which will have therequisite strength while maintaining the size and weight of the materialrequirements at a minimum. In carrying out the invention a strip ofsubstantially flat stock of a given weight and dimension is provided andthe longitudinal edges thereof are bent by any suitable means to formthe flanges l5 and i6 having the intermediate web H, as illustrated inFig. 4. The flanging operation is performed preferably prior to thefollowing enumerated operations for the reasons that the presence of theflanges aids such operations, although if desired the flanging operationmay be performed subsequent thereto. The web ii is perforated by cuttingaway portions thereof to form spaced openings 26 overlappinglongitudinally of the web, these openings being illustrated astriangular but it will be understood that openings of other shapes, suchas rectangular, may be provided and the invention is not to be limitedto the particular shape of the openings or the manner in which they areformed. A section of the web at one end portion thereof is also removed,as at l8, forming the vertically spaced longitudinally extending upperand lower projections i 9 and 23 when forming the particular beammembers illustrated. The edge of the metal defining the opening 98 isbent in a direction opposite to the flanges i 5 and It to form theflange 23. At the end of the above operations the articles appear asillustrated in Fig. 5.

The height and resistance to bending of the article are next increasedby expansion of the web transversely by any suitable means, theperforations 26 accommodating and facilitating this expansion by whichthe distance from the neutral axis to the flanges i5 and it is increasedwithout substantial diminution of the thickness of the web if. Theexpanding operation does not alter the horizontal position of the lowerlongitudinal flange 56 and the projection 28 of the beam, but the upperprojection i9 and a portion of the flange 55 adjacent thereto aredeflected from the plane of the stock and provided with a taper, fromthe flat surface accommodating the plate 2i, in the direction of theopposite end of the beam. The web if is expanded cold thus avoidingheating thereof with a resulting change in the texture and generalphysical properties of the material. The beam isthen relieved at 24,although this operation may, if desired, be performed in a differentorder. The finished product is illustrated in Fi 6.

A modified form of beam member is illustrated in Fig. 7 wherein the fulllines represent the finished product and the dot and dash lines thestock prior to expansion thereof. In this form of the invention thelongitudinal edges of the stock are bent to form flanges l5 and ithaving an intermediate web 1 1. Portions of the web are removed to formspaced openings 26 overlapping longitudinally of the stock, and anotherportion is removed as at i8 to provide vertically spaced projections i8and 20. The periphery of the opening I8 is bent to form the flange 23.The foregoing operations are similar to those described in connectionwith the finished article illustrated in Fig. 6. r

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 7, the web i I isexpanded in such a manner that the flanges i5 and I6 adjacent theprojections i9 and 2t, and the latter projections are deflected from theplane of the stock providing a beam member having the upper and lowerflat surfaces for accommodating the plates 2| and 22, respectively, anda taper of both longitudinal I edges from the flat surfaces extendingtoward the opposite end of the beam. It will be understood that theextent of the tapered portion of the product illustrated in both Figs. 6and 7 may be varied to suit conditions.

Practice of both forms of the method herein illustrated results inincreasing the strength of the member while maintaining the weight andsize of the blank stock to a minimum. By increasing the height of thestock there is an in crease in strength for a given weight and size.

Obviously, if desired, one of the longitudinal marginal flanges may beomitted but both flanges are ordinarily preferred for added rigidity.Also, the depth of the beam may be increased as aforesaid entirely toone side of the neutral axis instead of at both sides.

Although but several specific embodiments of the invention have hereinbeen shown and described, it will be understood that various changes inthe size, shape and arrangement of parts may be made without departingfrom the spirit of my invention.

.I claim:

1. The method of forming a structural beam member from a strip offlanged stock comprising removing portions of the web to provide spacedtriangular openings overlapping longitudinally of the beam toaccommodate and facilitate relative separation of said flanges, andrelatively separating said flanges for increasing the height of thebeam.

2. The method of forming a structural flanged beam member from a stripof substantially flat stock consisting in bending opposite longitudinaledges of the stock to form. the flanges of the beam with an intermediateweb portion, and perforating the web portion in such a manner as toprovide a pair of vertically spaced longitudinally extending projectionsatone end portion of said beam and to accommodate and facilitaterelative separation of said flanges and said projections, and relativelyseparating said flanges and said projections for increasing the heightof the beam.

3. The method of manufacturing a flanged structural beam member from apiece of stock having flanged longitudinally extending edge portions anda web therebetween, which comprises cutting away portions of the web toprovide openings overlapping longitudinally of the beam thereby formingobliquely extending legs integral at their ends with the web, adjacentlegs being oppositely inclined with respect to said flanges, andrelatively separating said flanges for increasing the distancetherebetween.

4. The method of manufacturing a flanged structural beam member from apiece of stock having flanged longitudinally extending edge portions anda web therebetween, which comprises cutting away portions of the web toprovide openings overlapping longitudinally of the beam thereby formingobliquely extending legs integral at their ends with the web, adjacentlegs being oppositely inclined with respect to said flanges, and movingat least one of said flanges relative to the other in a path at rightangles with respect to the longitudinal axis of the beam for increasingthe depth of the latter.

5. The method of manufacturing a flanged structural beam member from apiece of substantially flat stock which comprises bending oppositelongitudinal edges of the stock to form the flanges of the beam, with anintermediate web, cutting away and removing portions of said web tofacilitate relative separation of said flanges, and moving at least oneof said flanges relative to the other in a path at right angles withrespect to the longitudinal axis of the beam for increasing the depth ofthe latter.

6. The method of forming a structural flanged beam member from a pieceof stock of substantially uniform height throughout its length andhaving flanged longitudinally extending edge portions and a webtherebetween which comprises removing poritons of said Web at an endportion thereof in such a manner as to provide a pair of verticallyspaced longitudinally extending cantilever arms and to facilitaterelative separation of said flanges along said cantilever arms and in aregion adjacent said arms, and relatively separating said flanged edgeportions along said arms and at said region adjacent thereto forincreasing the vertical spacing of said arms and to provide a beamprogressively increasing in height at said region in a direction towardsthe separated arms.

'7. The method of manufacturing a Vehicle frame X-brace component .armhaving an open attaching portion from a strip of substantially flatstock comprising, bending opposite longitudinal edges of the stock toform the flanges of said beam with an intermediate web, removingportions of said web in such a manner as to provide a pair of verticallyspaced longitudinally extending cantilever attaching arms andtofacilitate relative separation of said flanges along said cantileverarms and in a region adjacent said arms, and relatively separating saidflanges along said arms and at said region adjacent thereto to increasethe vertical spacing of said arms for accommodating a vehicle propellershaft therebetween and for increasing the distance between said flangesin said region.

8. The method of forming a flanged component arm of a vehicle frameX-brace structure from a piece of stock of substantially uniform heightthroughout its length and having flanged longitudinally extending edgeportions and a web therebetween which comprises, removing a portion ofsaid Web at an end portion thereof to provide a pair of verticallyspaced longitudinally extending cantilever attaching arms and an openingtherebetween adapted to accommodate a vehicle propeller shaft, flangingthe wall of said web bounding said opening, and relatively separatingsaid arms for increasing the size of the opening therebetween.

- HARRY 'I. WOOLSON.

